


That Which Remains

by Stecayl



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Chess, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Pre-Canon, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 11:24:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21178625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stecayl/pseuds/Stecayl
Summary: Robin plays a game with her mother and learns a lesson.Whumptober Day 5: Gunpoint (very metaphorically)





	That Which Remains

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober Day 5: Gunpoint (very metaphorically), whumptober.tumblr.com for the prompts
> 
> Originally posted on FFA: https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/391819.html?thread=2304485003#cmt2
> 
> Significant edits since.

The pot of elderberry tea was down to dregs by the time the game finished. Robin tipped her lord, trying not to pout. At least she was getting better — a year ago, she wouldn't have lasted half as long against Mother.

"Do you know why you lost, Robin?" Mother asked.

Robin studied the board, replaying the last few moves of the game in her mind. Then, she sighed. "I was too cautious," she said. "Three moves back. You wouldn't have been able to set that trap if I'd sacrificed my wyvern rider to your general."

She looked at the board again and this time, she saw a new pattern. If she had just moved her general forward...

She gasped. "I could have been the one to set a trap for you!"

Excitedly, she restored the board to the way it had been three moves ago. This time, she moved her general forward, leaving her wyvern lord open. Mother obliged her, playing the next move and taking Robin's wyvern lord — and five moves later, Mother smiled and tipped her lord onto the board.

"I could have won," Robin said. She sighed again. "If I'd just _ seen _that during the game…"

Leaning forward, Mother kissed Robin on the forehead. "There's always our next match," she said. "But that's your lesson for today, Robin. Remember that — sometimes, you can only save the most important thing."

(Robin doesn't remember, in the end. And yet, she does.)


End file.
